Diminshing Shadows
by Skilverlight
Summary: He's been crying. He's drenched, shivering—it's been raining nonstop since this morning—and his eyes are swollen.


Disclaimer: Don't Own.

Word Count: 3284

Pairing: KagaKuro

Warning: WAFF; Shounen Ai; Touch of Angst (but really not enough to be much); Kagami PoV

I'm not really happy with it, but it's written. I found it kind of difficult to write, as I'm not used to first person but... Also take the title as you will, to me, it held more than one meaning, which is why I went with it. Constructive criticism is more than welcome. Anyway, enjoy.

**x.x.x.x.x**

_Diminishing Shadows_

He's been crying. He's drenched, shivering—it's been raining nonstop since this morning—and his eyes are swollen. It's a quarter past seven in the evening and growing increasingly darker and colder, the hallway is eerily quiet save for the soft dripping of water sliding down his arms, fingertips, and hair and falling to puddle outside my door. It doesn't take long for me to get over the shock of him _being there_ for me to grab his wrist and pull him inside; drag him to the couch and push him to sit, uncaring if it gets wet—the couch will dry and he's more important as far as I'm concerned.

I run to my room, retrieve a towel and a change of clothes before making my way back to where he sits; throwing the clothes down beside him and instead of giving him the towel, I take and begin gently drying his hair. Any other occasion I might've gotten a quiet mutter of _I can do it myself_ but he's entirely silent besides a soft sniffle and it just doesn't bode well with me. Sure, he's silent _most_ of the time, but when comfortable he's quite acerbic. It might be because of how polite he usually is—his speech always formal when in the vicinity of our coach and teammates or any other person—but when around me or any of the other members of his middle school team, his tongue can be sharp; heaven knows how many times he's reprimanded myself and Aomine when we happen to be in the same vicinity.

Several minutes pass in strained silence; I should ask, or rather I _want_ to ask what's wrong but I'm not sure how to. I want to know why he was on my doorstep when he should be home with his parents, why he was soaked to the bone, why he's crying, and why he came to _me_ of all people. I don't mind that he's here—how could I? But he could have gone to Aomine, or Kise; in fact I'm sure any of his old teammates wouldn't have minded—so why here?

His hair is reasonably dry now, but he's going to catch cold sitting in those wet clothes at this rate; his shivering has gotten worse within the past few minutes. Dropping the towel onto the arm of the couch, I pull on the shoulder of his shirt as a sort of suggestion, "You should change. Go ahead and use my clothes." I sigh as it seems he's not going to move, but after a minute he nods his affirmation and stands, taking the clothes from the couch and wandering in the direction of the bathroom.

Waiting until I hear the soft _'click'_ of the door closing, I move into the kitchen to make something for us both. I was getting ready to make dinner anyway when he showed up so I might as well make enough for him. It's within the process of making curry that I hear the door open quietly; the only signal that he was changed as his steps are, as always, entirely silent. A glance to the right of me, I see him; he's practically drowning in that black shirt and the shorts look ready to fall off him as they reach past his knees. It really drives home how much _smaller_ he is than me.

He seems somewhat better, no longer crying, and seemingly more relaxed. I could only wonder why for the moment, knowing I'd eventually need to ask. After all, Kuroko rarely _ever_ starts the conversation; the occasions he has are few and far between. Just, at times, it's awkward trying to start a conversation with him; sometimes I just can't find the words to ask him something. Basketball is, by all means, the easiest way to talk to him. Unfortunately, it's raining, so we can't exactly go _play_; damn fall weather.

He seats himself down after several minutes, the chair making that odd _'urn'_ noise as it's pulled back from its spot beneath the table. He raises his arms, crossing them on the table-top and lays his head down as he watches me. It's a little odd but doesn't impede my movement, so I leave him be; not long after his eyes close, I note from the corner of my eyes, and looking over I can see his breathing even out.

I imagine the crying must have worn him out, possibly given him a headache—I wonder if he found the painkillers in the cabinet, or if he was too polite to look? Thirty minutes later the sauce is finished, the rice is cooked and the curry is ready to be eaten. A quick look in the fridge presents several bottles of water, a carton of milk, and a few sodas. Grabbing two of the sodas—one of which I've seen Kuroko drinking several times so I'm sure he likes it—and set them on the table; lightly shaking his shoulder and watching those abnormally blue eyes flutter open, "Food's ready, Kuroko, so you need to wake up."

After spooning two plates of curry, I set one in front of him; he's stretching, a soft _'hng'_ noise coming from his throat before he seems to be comfortable. "Thank you, Kagami-kun," he mutters quietly before picking up his spoon and taking a bite. The consumption is slow, like he doesn't have an appetite but is too polite to decline eating. But I know he hasn't eaten yet; he never eats before visiting and I'm never sure whether I should be annoyed or happy that he wants me to cook for him. I, on the other hand, finish my plate swiftly and retrieve seconds—one plate is never enough to fill my stomach.

A third of his plate is consumed by the time I finish my second, and he's set his spoon down so it's apparent he's finished. I usually complain about him never finishing his portion—and I've even gotten into the habit of giving him less than usual—but today I don't. Instead I simply pick up his plate along with mine, dump the remains into the trash, run water over the plates, and leave them in the sink to be washed later. The curry is put into tupperware containers and slid into the fridge for later; a great midnight snack or easy-to-reheat dinner.

He's still sitting there even though we've finished and I scratch at my neck awkwardly, trying to think of what to say. It's only after a glance at the clock where I give a sigh, "Kuroko, do you want to stay tonight? It's getting late." He's still silent, like he needs to think about it, before reaching for his phone which he'd set on the table a few inches away, snapping it open and pressing several buttons before he clicks it shut once again. Ah, I guess informing his parents he won't be home; I've almost forgotten how that is with my dad in the States. "Thank you for having me," he mutters quietly, and I'm not sure if it was towards me or just his general politeness.

I stand there for a good five minutes before I groan silently; it's just so damn difficult trying to start a conversation with him! Idiot, idiot, idiot—say something! "Kagami-kun..," my head snaps in his direction; he's looking at me, an odd glint in his blue eyes that just _screams_ he's distressed. "What is it," I ask, before shaking my head and already walking, "Let's move to the couch, it'll be more comfortable." He follows, I settle myself on the opposite end of where he was sitting wet, and he sits beside me at a comfortable distance.

"Kagami-kun..," he starts again and stops, and I wonder if he's trying to think of what to say. He's got a habit—when he _does_ start the conversation—of not quite having what he wants to say thought out. We sit here in silence for several minutes and I can hear my heart in my ears, beating in tandem with the rain still steadily drizzling away outside. "Will Kagami-kun return to America for college?" The question is so sudden I jump and turn to look at him again.

"Haa?" I blink, giving him a look as if he's lost his mind, "Why are you asking me this now? There's still another year to go before it's time to start thinking about those things." His eyes narrow minutely and I shift; apparently there's more to the question than I seemed to have understood. That or he seriously expects me to know what I'm going to do long in advance. Maybe he's already got where he's going to college figured out? "I'm not sure yet, maybe," I amend, "But why?"

Kuroko suddenly takes in a deep breath, exhaling slowly as if worried. "We won't be able to keep playing basketball together if Kagami-kun goes, will we?" It's a soft mutter of a question and I almost don't hear it; almost. I wonder if I was meant to hear it either or if he was talking to himself but I think I understand what the problem is now. "I won't leave you, Kuroko; not like he did," I say, just loud enough for him to hear and his eyes widen a fraction before he looks directly at me, "Isn't that what this is about?"

He stares at me for a moment before giving a small nod, "I… had a dream. At first… it was Aomine-kun. We were walking side by side, I'd had my hand raised ready to bump fists, but he didn't return it. Then... then it was Kagami-kun. We were playing, and Kagami-kun told me not to pass to him anymore. Said I was too weak, refused to bump fists, and started to ignore me. Then Kagami-kun told me he was leaving, and I didn't want that... "

"But Kagami-kun was walking into the light, further and further away from my reach while shadows were wrapping around me more and more with each step he took; and I felt myself cease to exist once I could no longer see Kagami-kun in that light." Kuroko was shaking after that, and I sighed loudly. So that was definitely it then; Aomine drifting away from him, and Kuroko expecting me to not need him anymore led up to him having a nightmare.

"Stop worrying so much. I need you more than you think," I muttered quietly, and I can feel my face growing warmer. Great, I'm blushing; how is it you have the uncanny ability to make me say embarrassing things? It's bad enough when _you_ say incredibly embarrassing things with a straight face and mean it. "Anyway, what were you doing sleeping in the middle of the day? Did you eat something weird or fall asleep in some weird place in order to have nightmares?"

Kuroko simply shook his head before settling for being quiet yet again and I roll my eyes as I see the look that's been on his face since I found him on the other side of my door remains. Is he really that worried about this? A thought occurs to me and I suddenly wonder if this goes beyond his promise to be my _shadow_; to make me—_us_—the best in Japan. I know I'm slow but shouldn't I have noticed something like that before..?

I jump when I suddenly feel weight pressing against my side; it's no mystery to realize its' Kuroko leant against me, his head pressed against my arm. "You okay," I ask, and he nods against my arm with a quiet _'Mm'_. Another several minutes of thinking and, of course, me thinking through everything, I shift so he's no longer leaning on my arm but fully onto my side. He looks up with his usual blank expression; however I can see confusion and curiosity in his eyes as I wrap my arm around his shoulder. I can feel the heat on my face again but I'm looking right back at him; staring into his eyes and watching them flicker around, as if trying to read my every thought just from my face.

I wouldn't put it past him to be able to do so either; after all, he's got a hobby of 'people watching' as he's called it. He's able to pick up so very many things that most people don't notice or simply don't bother to. Every little nuance, every little shift in facial expression and body language. It's really no wonder that he can play basketball like he does; it's these observations that allow him to time _everything_. It's within this thinking I hadn't even realized how close I'd gotten to Kuroko's face—his lips—until I could feel his warm, vanilla scented breath against my own mouth.

And I just don't care anymore as the final gap is closed—not by me—by Kuroko's own lips and its warm. His lips are soft, warm, and taste like vanilla and a hint of the curry we'd eaten not fifteen minutes ago and just _Kuroko_; a distinct taste that has no name, it's just him. The kiss itself is brief and I pull away and open my eyes that I hadn't even _realized_ I'd closed until just now and he's opening his eyes too. There's no longer a glint of doubt, of sorrow, of _fear_ that I will decide I no longer need him. Instead there's warmth, affection, of _happiness_ that I do need him beyond simply basketball.

The corners of his lips twitch, just barely upturning into that small smile that he rarely makes; one that's started to make my heart flutter and my stomach flip when I see it lately. "Thank you, Kagami-kun," he murmurs; I feel myself stupidly grin and chuckle and he puts his head against my chest with a yawn. A glance at the clock reveals it to be only be a little after eight, but I imagine he's worn out.

"Kuroko?" I prod his arm, but he simply sighs and gives a soft _'Mm?'_ in response. His arms are lying limply and his body is relaxed, and from the sound of it he's practically asleep as is. "I'm going to pick you up, Kuroko," I warn, shifting him around and easily lifting him; it comes to mind that if he were coherent he'd probably pinch me before telling me to put him down, but he doesn't. Instead his head is buried into my chest and he seems to shift towards me.

It's easy enough to carry him into my room, and glad that I just don't _care_ enough to make the bed, place him down and pull the disarray sheets over him. Kuroko shifts further under the blankets, burrowing himself in like a cat seeking warmth, rousing another chuckle out of me. With that I leave him to clean the leftover dishes and then shower. Its fifteen after nine when I finish and I shrug, decided that it was late enough and crawled into bed beside Kuroko.

**x.x.x.x.x**

Waking up was a shock. At first, I thought nothing of the heat in front of me; after all, Alex has snuck into the bed several times while I was asleep, so at first I thought it might have been her. But after remembering that she was indeed back in the _States_ I jumped upwards and looked down and that's when I remembered that Kuroko had stayed over. That I'd put Kuroko to bed and crawled in with him to sleep.

His face was serene, blank as when he was awake but also relaxed. His mouth was parted just slightly as he breathed, chest rising and falling slowly and shallowly. I'm actually relatively shocked I'm awake first; after all, Kuroko is usually up long before I am. I remembered one morning it was just past ten when I'd finally decided I'd had enough sleep, so I'd crawled out of the bed and walked into the main room to find Kuroko pouring over a book and the TV on but muted. When I asked what time he'd gotten up—he'd slept on the couch—he claimed he'd been up since a little after six.

I had simply shook my head and proceeded to make coffee to wake myself the rest of the way up and find something quick to make for us both to eat. Kuroko is a terrible cook, so I know he hadn't tried to. There was one time he'd tried to make us something to eat besides boiled eggs, and it'd been terrible. Not the same kind of terrible as our coaches cooking had been, but it'd been just as inedible. I still can't quite figure out what he did to achieve that.

Yawning, I moved to get out of bed; however it seemed Kuroko had other ideas. One of Kuroko's hands was clamped tightly to my shirt and I sighed. Trying to work Kuroko's fingers loose seemed to be impossible, and instead gripped tighter and tighter so I gave up and flopped back into the bed. After five minutes I can't help but sigh as I'm _bored_ and decidedly, I really need to pee.

After staring at Kuroko's hand for a moment I get an idea and carefully pull myself loose from the shirt, slipping it over my head and leaving it to the blue-haired boys' hands. It's cold in the apartment; goose bumps instantly jump up on my skin and I involuntarily shiver and rub my hands over my arms. I almost _regret_ getting out of bed and taking off my shirt, but it's incredibly hard to ignore when nature calls.

After relieving myself I find myself wandering back into the bedroom and pulling another shirt on. Kuroko has rolled over onto his back with the shirt clutched to his chest and I can't help but smile at this. He looks extremely adorable with his hair disheveled, the shirt is lopsided and showing the skin of his right shoulder, the blanket has managed to slide down around his waist, and he's got the shirt clutched like a stuffed doll and his lifeline. I sit on the bed, shifted so my right leg is curled and I'm leaning over Kuroko. I can't help myself, lowering to press a kiss to his nose—it twitches briefly—and then his forehead.

I don't expect the sudden sneeze as I pull back from him, and his eyes open blearily. They appear glossy, and I can guess that his vision hasn't entirely cleared yet; trying to open your eyes and simply _wake up_ before you're ready, it's practically impossible to see. Everything just appears blurry and your eyes simply want to close again.

I hear a soft groan escape his mouth and watch as his eyes close and a pinch appears between his brows. My own dive and I reach a hand out, pressing against his forehead and I hiss; he's got a fever. I start thinking over everything I have in the house—I rarely get sick myself so I don't really keep much around—before deciding that I probably do have everything to care for someone who's ill. Glancing at the clock it's ten after seven and I know I'm definitely not going to school and leaving him here, and I'm not going to make him go, or even get him to try and _move_ from my bed.

Decision made, I let him know, and leave the room to inform his parents and the school that we wouldn't be there. As far as I'm concerned, Kuroko's more important.


End file.
